Toy puzzle



(No Model.)

0. H. L OOMIS. TOY PUZZLE.

No. 249,968. Patented Nov. 22,1881.

{77215; Zzzff/zf 5) 7 O NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. LOOMIS, OF NEW HAVEN, ASSIGNOR TO CLINTON BROTHERS 85 00., OF NORTH HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

TOY PUZZLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 249,963, dated November 22, 1881.

Application filed October 11, 1881. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES H. Looms, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Toy Puzzles; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a perspective view; Fig. 2, alongitudinal section.

This invention relates to a device for working out a puzzle, the puzzle being based upon the supposed condition of three men with their wives, traveling, to wit: The three men with their wives come to the bank of a river, where they find the means of crossing limzo ited to a boat which will take but two persons at a time. The condition of these parties is such that neither man will permit his wife to cross in the boat with the husband of another lady, and neither wife is to be left on the bank of the river with a man not her husband, and yet they must cross the stream. The solution of the puzzle is as follows: First, two wivessay the first and second-cross in the boat; the second wife, leaving the first, 0 returns and takes the third across; the third wife goes back with the boat; then the first and second husbands cross the stream to their respective wives on the opposite side. Now, the second man and wife go back in the boat, the wife going ashore, the two mencross,(the

second and third;) then thefirst woman takes the boat and goes back and returns with the second wife, which leaves the wife of the third husband alone on the bank. The first and second wives go ashore, the third husband now takesjthe boat leaving the first and second husbands and wives on shore, goes across and brings over his wife, which accomplishes the puzzle.

This invention consists in a device representing the two banks of a river, with the boat movable between the two banks, and figures representing the three husbands and wives movable from their positions on the bank to the boat, and to the opposite side, as more fully hereinafter described.

A represents the onebank to which the parties arrive; B, the river, and C the opposite bank, to which they desire to go. D represents'boat. a a represent the positions indieating the first husband and wife; I) I), the positions indicating the second husband and wife, at 01 indicating the positions of the third husband and wife, as they are on the bank A, and as they will be on the bank D. These positions are best indicated by holes made on the respective sides, or may be other means by which the respective parties may be properly located.

The boat is here represented as arranged on a sliding rod, 0, from which a knob,f, extends up to a convenient position on one bank, so that by placing the finger upon the said knob the boat may be readily moved from one bank to the other, as seen in broken lines; but instead of the slide a. cord may be attached to the boat, extending through perforations in the respective sides, so as to be readily drawn across from one bank to the other, or the cord may be arranged to draw itinone direction and a spring to return it, it only being essential that the boat shall be arranged so as to be moved from the one side of the stream or space E to. the other.

The figures which are to be transported across the stream may represent men and women, as here shown, or other devices may be employed-as, for instance, pairs of pins of different colors, or pairs of animals; but each pair should be colored or shaped so as to distinguish the male and female, and the one pair from the other, so that by the term three pairs of figures I wish to be understood as embracing any representation which may indicate the three men and their respective wires.

1 claim The herein-described puzzle, consisting of the representation of two sides or banks, A C, of a river or space, E, with the representation of a boat, D, movable across from one side of 5 the space B to the other, combined with three pairs of figures, substantially as described.

CHARLES H. LOOMIS. 

